such things as these people may not imitate Matth. 23.3 to build with one hand and pull downe with the other to lead by his good doctrine and mislead by his wicked conversation to have Christ in his mouth and Satan in his heart this is likewise a sad mournefull spectacle Lastly those that are eminent though not in place yet in the esteeme and opinion of the Church I meane professors of religion their sins are more scandalous and therefore more to be lamented then the sins of other men if David a pillar of the Church step awry the enemies of the Lord will soone have their mouths open to blaspheme upon that advantage 2. Sam. 12.14 To see therefore a professour not to live according to his profession not to walke worthy of that new name that Christ hath given him not to walke as becometh the Gospell to over-reach or circumvent his neighbour in bargaining or selling or to undermine his brothers good reputatâ—on by becomming the devills agent to scatter false and slanderous reports or to live in malice or adultery or to hugge any other delightfull darling lust in his bosome this is also a sad mournefull spectacle Well if Christ have taught us to mourne for the back-slidings of Hierusalem what shall we say to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that rejoycing in evill which is in the world what shall we thinke of those active instruments of Satan that take such paines to propagate sin in others those inticers Pro. 1.11 Come let us lay waite for bloud cast in thy lot amongst us let us all have one purse wee shall fill our houses with spoyle and enrich our selves with precious substance c. thus the Prophet brings in a crew of Idolaters animating and incouraging one another in their designes Esay 41.6 They helped every one his neighbour and said one to another be of good courage so the Carpenter incouraged the Goldsmith he that smootheth with the Hammer him that smote the Anvile saying it is ready for the sodering and so Es 56 12. hee brings in a company of drunkards daring one another to sit close at it come say they I will fetch wine and we will fill our selves with strong drinke and to morrow shall be as to day and much more aboundant and what shall we thinke of Solomons fooles that make a sport of sinne never more merry then when they heare of the disorderly carriages the drunkennesse the swearing the wantonnesse of their brethren sure as the Apostle speakes Eph. 4.20 non sic didicistis Christum you have not so learned Christ he mournes for Hierusalem hee beheld the Citty and wept over it saying If thou c. And beleeve it there was never more cause of mourning in this kind then in our dayes a fountaine of teares would not suffice to bewaile all the abominations that are committed in the midst of our Hierusalem if our Lord and Saviour were now upon earth he would never goe with dry eyes for beside that Luke-warmnesse that is amongst us that a great many are neither hot nor cold what sinne was ever committed by any that is not committed by many in this land and in this City how hath pride jetted in one street drunkennesse reeled in another street oppression marched like Iehu in another street adultery with all her wanton positures minced in another street wee have justified Sodome in all her abominations Sodom which along while agoe was turned into ashes and made an ensample to all that should afterwards live ungodly hath not done as wee have done we have exceeded Sodom if not in the commission of greater sins yet in committing the same sins with greater impudency and greater obstinacy in regard of that glorious light which shines amongst us and did not shine among them and yet which is the misery there is scarce a Lot to be found whose righteous soule is greived for all these abominations though only such mourners bee marked in the forehead to be preserved in the destruction of Hierusalem Ezech. 9. though only such mourners be the followers and Disciples of Christ for hee beheld the City and wept over it saying If thou hadst knowne even thou in this thy day c. And so I come to the other cause of Christ his mourning Jerusalems misery for the dayes shall come that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and keepe thee in on every side and lay thee even with the ground 't was likely we should heare of a storme Hierusalem was so secure so opprest with the spirit of drowsinesse she did not know the things that belonged to her peace they were hid from her eyes when men shall cry peace and safety then sudden destruction shall come upon them as travell upon a woman that is with childe 1. Thess 5.3 the men before the deluge were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage when the floud came and swept them all away the men of Laish were extreame carelesse and secure when the Danites came upon them and slew them with the edge of the Sword Elies Sons set their Fathers counsell at nought they would not see the vilenesse and danger of their sins when the Lord had a purpose to slay them and Lots admonitions sounded as idle tales in the eares of his Sons in Law when the next morning Sodom and Gomorrha were destroyed with fire and brimstone from heaven when the Prophets who are called Seers and watchmen shall discerne a cloud a tempest arising and shall according to their duty give the people warning to fly from the wrath to come to prevent and divert it by repentance and reformation if the people now shall slight the Prophets words as idle tales say with Saint Peters mockers Vbi promissio adventus where is the promise of his comming or with those Deut. 29.19 we shall have peace though we adde drunkennesse to thirst though we goe on in our sensuall courses though wee seek it yet againe as t is Pro. 23.35 surely that people must needs bee in as bad case as the ground that Saint Paul speakes of Heb. 6.8 that drinketh in the raine and bringeth forth nothing but briars and thornes nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned and this was Hierusalems case here Hierusalem had many warnings both from the Prophets and from the Lord of the Prophets many gracious tenders of mercy were made to her many severe threatnings were discharged against her woe unto thee O Hierusalem wilt thou not bee made cleane when will it once be Ierem. 13.27 but she is either so blind or so obstinate or both that she doth not or will not know the things that belong to her peace here in my Text Christ himselfe woos her if thou hadst knowne even thou in this thy day c. and that with teares in his eyes he beheld the City and wept over it but all in vaine Christ did but cast an eye back upon Peter and that recalled him Luc. 22.61 the Lord turned
more circumspectly for the time to come to walke worthy of those great mercies which we injoy to bring foorth fruits meet for repentance no doubt he will accept of us still and receive us into favour againe what else is the meaning of those Parables 〈◊〉 Luc. 15. Of the Woman rejoycing with her Neighbours when shee had found her lost Groate of the Shepheards hugging this stray Sheep and bringing it home with joy of the Father welcomming and embracing his prodigall Sonne upon his submission but to intimate unto us the will â—gnesse of Almighty GOD to be reconciled unto sinners upon their true Repentance the Father doth not question with his Sonne Vbi fuislâ—â— â—ubâ— suâ—t â—â—e tulistiâ— saith Chrysologus where haâ—e you been What is become of all that portion you carried hence how is it that you are returned thus poore thus naked but he cals for the best Robe and Shooes for his Feete and a Ring for his finger c. Quis iâ—lâ— Pâ—tâ—r saith Tertullian sweetly who is this Father that so lovingly entertaines his penitent Sonne who is this Father 〈◊〉 scilicet God is this Father we are these Prodigals let his enterteinment incourage us to returne to acknowledge our own vilenesse Father we have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight and are no more worthy to be called thy Children and he will receive us graciously a broken and a contrite heart he can not he will not despise â—iâ—riâ— noâ— potestâ—â—â— silivâ— istarum lâ—chrymarum â—percatâ— said Saint Ambrose to Monica bewayling her Sonne Austin be of good cheere Woman it cannot be that the Sonne for whom thou dayly sheddest so many Teares should perish so I dare say to every Soule that bedewes it selfe with the Teares of true Repentance Fieri non poiâ—st ut aâ—â— â—â—a istarum laâ—â—rymarum pereat it cannot be that the Soule for which so many Teares are shed should perish it is a groundlesse expostulation that is taken up by them Malac 3. â—4 What profit is it that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hostes I answer very great profit for these Teares il they proceede fâ—om a truly broken and contrite heart they will prove like Sauls Sword or lonathans Bow they will never returne empty not one of these Cristalline Pearles fal's to the ground God puts them all into his Bottell Psalme 56.8 See how it fared with good Hezechiah Esay 38.1 The Prophet is sort to acquaint him that the time of his dissolution is at hand Set thy House in order for thou shalt dye and believe it Death is a grimme Surjeant that will not easily be staved off however the good man betakes himselfe to his Prayers and mingles some â—eares with his Prayers and see what this produceth Verse 5. Thus saith the Lord I have heard thy Prayers I have seen thy Teares I will adde unto thy dayes fifteene yeares and I will deliver thee and this City out of the hand of the King of Assyria I need not tell you that are Parents how far the Teares of your children will plead and prevaile with you though you be much offended and what saith the Psalmist Psal 103.13 Like as a Father pittieth his own children so is the Lord mercifull to his children when his anger is kindled against them their Teares will soon quench it again look in the 31. of Ieremy Verse 18. There you shall finde a breach between God and Ephraim Ephraim is stubburn God is angry at it and begins to correct him Ephraim feeling it smart fals a weeping he repents and smites upon his thigh Verse 19. And God presently takes notice of it I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himselfe and what followes at the 20. Verse Is Ephraim my deare Sonne Is he a pleasant child for since I spake against him I doe earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord I can be no longer angry with him saith God now I see him weep my bowels doe even yearne towards him I will surely have mercy upon him c. It puts me in mind of that story of Esau Genesis 27. He brings in his venison and comes very confidently to his Father for a blessing before his Death the dimme old man amazed and perceiving at last how he was deluded for Jacob had cunningly supplanted him you know the story he tells him that he was come too late Thy brother came with subtilty and hath taken away thy blessing Verse 35. With that he falles a begging and complayning and is very importunate Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me blesse me even me also O my Father Isaac tels him I have given all his brethren to him for servants I have given him Corn and Wine to sustayne him what can I doe for thee my Sonne Hast thou but one blessing my Father saith Esau blesse me even me also and Esau lift up his voyce and wept Verse 38. And those Teares fetched a blessing presently his Father answered Thy dwelling shall be the fatnesse of the Earth and the dew of Heaven from above and thou shalt serve thy Brother and it shall come to passe that in processe of time thou shalt breake his yoke from off thy necke c. Teares are lowde Oratours with an Earthly Father much more with our Heavenly Father because hee is infinitely more pittifull then any Earthly Father If you beeing evill know how to give good gifts to your children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how much more shall your Heavenly Father Matthew 7.11 If you that have but a Rivulet of mercy bee so moved with Teares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how much more will your Heavenly Father who hath a boundlesse bottomlesse Ocean of mercie Wee may bee the more confident that the Teares which we shed upon Earth are regarded in Heaven because as the Apostle speakes wee have a mercifull high Priest there Hebrewes 4.15 For wee have not a high Priest that cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like unto us sinne onely excepted Christ tooke not on him our nature onely a reasonable Soule and humane flesh but also condescended to take on him the infirmities of our nature the infirmities of the body as to be hungry to be thirsty to sleepe to be weary and the infirmities of the minde as to be angry to be sad to weepe c. Christ hath beene experimentall in all these hee hath tasted of every one of these Cups and therefore knowes how to pitty and to succour those that labour under any of these infirmities are wee sorrowfull so hath CHRIST beene a man of sorrowes and acquainted with griefe doe wee weepe so did Christ hee beheld the City and wept over it and though hee doe not weepe for our Hierusalem yet hee is sensible of our weeping and makes intercession for us at the right Hand of his Father and therefore heere is a great deale of comfort to those that mourne in Sion and a great deale of incouragement to those that have not yet beene Mourners if they shall now at length see the errour of their wayes and beginne to weepe for the abominations of Hierusalem Let us therefore all of us awake betimes out of our sinnes before that vengeance awake and the judgement which yet sleepeth seeke the Lord while hee may bee found whilest with the Father of the Prodigall hee is ready to meete us and to embrace us let us turne to him with all our hearts with fasting and with weeping and with mourning there is â—oy in the presence of the Angels over one sinner what joy will there bee over a whole Nation that repenteth Luc. 15.10 while God holdes his peace these things hast thou â—oue and I held my peace Psalme 50.21 Let us speake â—nd sue unto him for mercy and say spare us good Lord â—pare thy people whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious bloud and bee not angry with us for ever And let the Priests the Ministers of the Lord weepe betweene the Porch and the Altar and say be favourable O Lord and give not thine heritage to reproach Joel 2.17 Wherefore should they say among the Heathen where is now their God FINIS Errata PAge 1. lin 15. for assad reade assaied p. 3. l. 2. for estalish reade establish p. 8. l. 2. for of death read of her death p. 9. l. 2. for ale read able p. 9. l. 25. for finde read feede p. 12. l. 43. for Daysar read daystar p. 13. 12. for did not knew his people read did not know his people p. 14. 20. for it read them p. 20. l. 33. for Domini read Domine p. 21. l. 31. which in his own mouth deleatur in l. 33. for these read the p. 27. l. 9. for Irelan read Ireland p. 28. l. 26. for have read hath p. 34. for this read his
lament but the world shall rejoyce worldlings may let loose the reynes and seek for a Paradise a Heaven upon Earth in the pleasures of sin for a season t is their portion but Christs Disciples must expect Teares for meate and plenteousnes of Teares for drink Mine Eye mine Eye runs down with Rivers of water saith the Church Lam. 3.48 Mine Eye trickleth down and ceaseth not without any intermission David will tell you of watering his couch and making his bed to swimme with teares and that night after night Every night wash I my bed with the teares of my complaint Ps 6.6 You shall find St. Peter weeping bitterly and Mary Magdalen pumping out teares enough to wash her Saviours Feet beloved as Christ was so are we in this world 1 Joh. 4.17 that is pilgrims and strangers here we have no continuing City but we seek one to come I am a stranger with thee a so journer as all my Fathers were now the condition of a pilgrim is a weeping conditioÌ„ By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept when we remembred thee O Sion Psal 137.1 Every Dog will be barking at strangers and you know how imperiously the Sodomites insulted over â—â—ot because he was a stranger This fellow say they came in to so journe amongst us and he will needs be a judge over us Now though Christ our head met with stronger oppositions and greater afflictions in his pilgrimage then we are like to meet with for God is faithfull who will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able yet we must look to drink of the same cup that he drank of though not so deep as he drank and to fill up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the after sufferings that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ Col. 1.24 Beside we have teares to shed that Christ was not capable of teares of repentance he was a Lamb without spot and without blemish there was no guile found in his mouth we are loaden with sins there is not a day passeth over our heads wherein we doe not contract unto our selves the guilt of many many sins What our Lord and Saviour speaks of the evill of punishment Mat. 6.34 is true also of the evill of sin su ficient for the day is the evill thereof every day brings sin enough with it to over cast it to make it a wet day a day of weeping for as the Father speaks seeing after we are baptized and washed from the guilt of originall sin we doe dayly fowle our selves a new by the commission of actuall sins we should also dayly re-baptize our selves in the bitter waters of Marah the teares of true Repentance what is wanting in innocency we should Prive to make up in penitency â—aâ—th quod possum p ango quod non possum as St. Bernard I doe what I am able and what cannot doe I am sorry for it but especially upon dayes of solemn humiliation dayes set apart for this very purpose for the bewailing both of our personall and of our nationall sins when God by his judgments threatned or inflicted cals to weeping and to mourning and to baldnes and to putting on of sack-cloth if then the voyce of the turtle be not heard in our Land if the Mourners doe not goe about the streets as the Preacher speaks if there be not a renting of the heart as well as a hanging down the head like a bulrush what shall I say surely we are in Hierusalems case neare to destruction we doe not know the day of our visitation we know not the things that belong to our peace So that Christ is seasonably brought in weeping to teach us what we must doe as at all times while we so journ here in this valley of teares so especially upon dayes of mourning and humiliation blessed are those that mourne saith Christ they shall be comforted Though they sow in teares they shall reape in joy heavines may endure for a night joy will come in the morning When the times of refreshing shall come all teares shall be wiped from their Eyes and they shall enter into the joy of their Master receive the oyle of gladnesse for the spirit of heavines lay aside their black mourning weeds and attend the Lambe in white robes with palmes in their hands Rev. 7.9 And so much briefly of the Mourner in the next place we are to take notice of the causes of his mourning he beheld the City and wept over it His teares are teares of compassion teares of love Behold how he loved him said the Iewes when he wept at Lazarus his grave lo. 11.36 Behold how he loved this unthankefull City in that he shed not teares only as here but his precious bloud also afterwards for it Vâ—dens civitatâ—nt he beheld the City and wept over it We have a proverbe Vbi amor ibi oculus where we love there will our Eye be gazing where Christs love was we may see by his Eye too Vidit civitatem he beheld the City but what cause he had to love it or to six his Eye upon it we see not for what doth he behold there but matter of griefe and discontent he looked for judgment but behold oppression for righteousnes but behold a cry Hierusalem like Babylon is become a cage of uncleane Birds Deviarunt omnes they are all gone out of the way fallen off from the purity sincerity and religious integrity of their forefathers there was a time indeed when God behold no iniquity in â—acob nor saw perversenes in Israel Num 23.21 But now he beholds nothing else but iniquity but perversenes A sinfull Nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of evill doers a rebellious house a stiff necked people of uncircumcised Heart and Eares which causeth him to behold it with watery Eyes he beheld the â—ity and wept over it c. There is a twofold cause of Christs mourning here as I told you Hierusalems n and Hierusalems misery by reason of sin as they two are never long asunder we are to begin with her sin as the cause of her misery and the chiefe cause of Christs mourning he beheld the City and wept over it saying â—f thou hadst known even thou in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace but now they are hid from thine Eyes because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation If thou â—adst known even thou c. It is no single sin but a willfull senselesse secure obstinate sleeping in sin they will not be convinced of much lesse averted from their erroneous courses God hath sent his Prophets rising early an calling to them O doe not this abominable sin that I hate he hath commanded them to cry alowd against their crying sins their idolatry oppression swearing lying killing stealing neighing after their Neighbours wives like fed Horses and what was their answer As for the word that thou hast spoken to us in the Name of the Lord we will not
hearken to it but we will doe what is pleasing in our own Eyes to burn incense to the Queen of Heaven â—er 41.16 When his servants coulâ— not work upon them he sent his Son They will reverence my Son but they cast him out of the Vineyard too this is the Heyre let us kill him and the inheritance shall be ours God sets open a Fountaine for the inhabitants of Hierusalem to wash in for sin an for uncleanesse they scorne this fountaine as Naaman did Jordan Are not Abana and Pharpar rivers of Damascus better then all the waters of Israel nay they say to Christ who is this fountaine as St. Peter did though with a far worse mind thou shalt never wash my feet Joh. 13.8 God sends his Son to seeke and save the lost sheep of the house of Israel and these lost sheep these Sons of perdition will not heare the Shepheards voyce braine-sick Patients they run at the Physician that comes to cure them they stumble at the Corner-stone the rock of their salvation becomes a Rock of offence to them and here is their condemnation that light is come into the World the day Sar from on high hath visited them but they chuse darknes rather then light because their deeds are evill Joh. 3.9 They are not sensible of the day of their Visitation God hath given them a gracious visit indeed hee hath sent his beloved Sonne amongst them the promised Shiloh whom they had so long expected and not they only but also all the Families of the Earth who expected a blessing from him the desire of all Nations is come among them Ecce rextius vâ—an tâ—â— Behold thy King commeth unto thee meek and sitti g upon an Asses Colâ— as you may see in the verses before my Text and it is wâ—ll the Oxe knew his owner for he was born in a Stable and layd in a Manger and the Asse here his Masters crib for Israel did not knew his people did not consider they reje ed him as the legion of Devils did Quid nobis tecum what have we to doe with thee Mat. 8.29 Full often he would have gathered their Children together as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings but they would not they knew not the things that belonged to their peace Wherefore is there a price put into the hand of a foole saith Solomon seeing he hath no heart to it here was an invaluaâ—le price put into the hand of a foolish Nation but they had no heart to it the worth of it was hid from their Eyes they were so besotted with the pleasures of sin so purblind in discerning the things that concerned their peace the welfare and salvation of their soules that they had no list to close with those blessed opportunities which they injoyed and was not this a sad spectacle When he beheld the City he wept over it saying If thou hadst known even thou in this thy day c. Learn we then here by Christs example as to weep so when to weep where and for whom to bestow our teares for the back-sliding of Hiâ—rusalem when we see iniquity in the holy place the faithfull City become a Harlot when we see precious opportunities neglected pearleâ— trampled under foot by Swine that know not the worth of them when we see men regardles of their soules and the things that concern their peace obstinatly to persist in their sins without any remorse of conscience or feare o judgment then it is high time to set open the floud-gates of our Eyes with David Mine Eyes gush out with water because men keep not thy Law or with our Saviour here he beheld the City and wept over it saying if thou hadst known c. In the ninth Chap. of Ezech. Ver 4. We find a command to set a mark upon the forehead of all those that sigh and cry out for all the abominations that were committed in the middest of Hierusalem and indeed what Christian mans heart can chuse but bleed within him if he shall seriously lay to heart all the abominations that are committed before his Eyes how was righteous Lots soule vexed with the uncleane conversation of the filthy Sodomites 2 Pet. 2.7 8. We read of S. Paul that when he came into Athens and saw the City wholy given to Idolatry Commotus est Spiritus that his Spirit was moved within him Acts 17.16 To see the renowned City of Athens so famous formerly for learning now become so infamous for Idolatry communicating that honour and service which is due and proper to God alone to dumb Idols his spirit was moved within him and so far moved that though he were in a strange place yet he could not contein himselfe but cries aloud against those abominations David cries out it grieveth me when I see the transgressors because they keep not thy Law Psal 119.158 And the Apostle speaking of those loose livers in the primitive Church whose belly was their God and gloried in their shame saith thus of them I tell you weeping they are the Enemies of the Crosse of Christ Phil. 3.18 19. David could not behold the transgressors without grieving It grieveth me when I see the transgressors because they keep not thy Law nor S. Paul speak of it without weeping I tell you weeping they are the Enemies of the Crosse of Christ so tender hearted have Gods children ever been so ready to mourn for others sins as indeed there is a great deale of reason we should do so both in respect of God who is therby dishonoured in respect of the sinner for whom in common humanity we cannot but weep when we observe how greedily he runs to his own destruction what hast he makes to that place where shal be everlasting weeping and wayling and gnashing of teeth in respect of our selves who are indangered by other mens sins their sin is infectious I living among them may perhaps be drawn to cast in my lot to run with them to the same excesse of riot to partake with them in their sins their sin in offensive to God if God shall unsheath his sword and come to visit for their iniquities I living among them may perhaps be partaker of their punishment and therfore for my own sake I have cause to mourne for the sins of other men Tunc tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet t is high time for thee to look about thee when thy Neighbours House is on fire And first we cannot but mourn for the abominations of Hierusalem the sins of other men in respâ—ct of God in zeale to his glory to see him dayly dishonoured his holy name blasphemed his Sabbaths prophaned his service neglected al his commandemants broken and that by the sins of other men this was it that made the Prophet Eliah complaine so mournfully 1 Kings 19.10 I have been very zealous for the Lord of Hosts for the children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant thrown down thine Altars slain thy